Marine coral algae can be quite beautiful, enriching our experiences as divers; it is also an important part of the marine ecosystem. Just how important the coral algaes were to other forms of marine life wasn’t fully known until researchers from the Autonomous University of South Baja California (UABCS) released new findings about coral algaes living in Mexico’s Gulf of California. What they discovered is astonishing.
In-Depth Coral Algae Investigation In Mexico Reveals New Findings
Beautiful red coral algaes are abundant in the Gulf of California, adding spectacular color and rich texture to the underwater world. Marine biologist Jazmin Hernandez Kantun from UABCS led researchers in a study that shows that the most abundant of the Gulf’s coral algae is not just a single species but a compound of five different species. This is completely transforming the way the coral algae species known as Lithophyllum Margaritae is being represented.
Kantun’s cutting-edge research is now being continued with molecular testing at the National University in Ireland, with the goal of determining the number of coral algae species in Mexico and Europe. Kantun told reporters that “Coral algae in Mexico and throughout the world are usually identified by their shape and color. However, it is necessary to investigate the species in depth, given that bigger biodiversity exists in this organism than previously thought.”
The importance of coral algae isn’t just that they help enrich habitat for marine life, add color to the underwater world, and serve as food for many ocean creatures – it is also that when they detach from their hosts during tidal motion, they assemble in certain areas and form calcium-rich growths that share some features with corals. Corals, mollusks, clams, and many different types of larvae in turn utilize these growths to begin their own development.
Time is of the essence in concluding the ongoing research and releasing findings to governmental bodies in hopes of increasing protection for these important coral algae species. This is because the increased levels of carbon dioxide which the algae are taking in is modifying their pH levels and ultimately changing the ocean ecosystem’s natural chemistry. The worst-case scenario for these algaes and the many important animals that depend on them would be complete removal of coral algae from the ecosystem, which would have a devastating effect and perhaps even lead to ecosystem collapse.
Because of their importance to the marine ecosystem, two species of coral algae gained protection in 1992 – Phymatolithon Calcareum and Lithothamnion Coralliodides have gained protection under the Habitats Directive of the European Union, due to overharvesting for the manufacture of fertilizer. Kantun is hopeful that two other species which share similar characteristics, Lithothamnion Glaciale and Lithothamnion Tophiforme, should gain protection.
Kantun believes that the effects of climate change are different for every species. “A lot of research is missing in this field, we haven’t quite understood the diversity of this algae, is saying that all dogs are alike when each breed has different genetics and response to environmental factors. It is not the same to protect one vs. five different species,” she stated. Her plans are to return to Mexico and start a laboratory where she can continue her research in hopes of helping these organisms gain the conservation status they so desperately need.